Sep 08 Learning through fun and games!

The new term has started, amidst the where’s my P.E kit? I need money for the tuck shop and can you sign this and oh I need a cheque for your soul for all the trips, art folders, DT ingredients and history trips I had two children very much looking forward to the new academic year. 

I personally love this time of year and no not because the holidays are over as I rather like them but the whole new start, clean slate thing.  As a teacher September always marks a new start, the children are gleaming in the unstained uniforms, they are eager to learn and looking forward.  For us this year it’s that extra bit poignant after the year we have had with Erin.  It is a new start, we are finally looking forward. 

With all this comes new vigour and promises.  I have really got to find the time to help Dylan (and Chloe) with school work whilst keeping on top of my own planning and preparation plus occasionally cleaning the house and feeding the children!

Therefore I have turned to stealth ways of achieving my aims.  We will be playing junior scrabble in the knowledge it will be helping his spelling.  Junior Scrabble is ideal for those aged 5-10, there are two modes of play.  The easier version has the words on the board and the children just need to collect the letters and start linking letters. It is a great way to develop reading and spelling skills.  The second level is more challenging for the older children and good those with good spelling skills. They flip the board over and make their own words.  This is more like the older version that I loved as a child. 

Playing games like scrabble are perfect ways of reinforcing what has been taught in the classroom and encouraging our children to develop.  Plus it is fun!  My children love competitive games and I actually encourage this.  One of my pet hates at primary school now is how so much competition has been eliminated – don’t even get me started on non competitive sports days!  Children like to win – but they also need to learn to be a good loser.  Therefore a bit of competitive board game playing is one of our favourite Saturday night activities.  Junior Scrabble retails for about £19.99 and is available in most toy shops including Amazon, Toys R Us and many more.  It really is an old classic that has stood the test of time and I am sure will remain popular with children.  Dare I say it is an ideal Christmas gift!!

The second game that is a stealth educational resource is History Heroes.  Dylan loves history he has a mind for facts and figures and loves learning about times past.  He also loves top trumps  – this week at school they have been making their own top trump card and there isn’t much we don’t know about porcupines now!

History Heroes has been devised by a history teacher and is a clever way of learning about past monarchs or explorers. Each set contains 42 cards with facts and pictures. There are six games per pack from identifying the monarch to having to remember the dates of the reign.

I personally love these cards, they are such a great way to engage the children with learning the facts and figures associated with History. Dylan couldn’t put them down.

The teacher in me smiles a bit (alot) at games like this. I even learnt a few new facts myself. This game really is perfect and would be an ideal stocking filler! I can’t wait for more there is a Shakespeare one in the pipeline I believe.

Disclosure: I was gifted the games for the purpose of the review although the opinions are all my own.